Flood-fence



(No Mode l.)

W. MATTHEWS. v

Flood Fence.

No. 236,446. Patented Jan. 11,1881.

VEFiTIJR mm MPETERS. PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D c.

TAT-ES UNITE ATENT FLOOD- FENCE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,446, dated January 11, 1881.

Application filed September 3, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Majority Point, in the county of Cumberland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flood-Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to the special class of fences which are placed across running streams, and are arranged in such a manner as to fall when the water rises above a given height; and the object of the invention is to let any floating objects that might injure the fence pass over.

Theobject of myimprovement is to construct a sectional flood-fence that shall be simple in construction, easily coupled, and secured to the bed of the stream with little or no diffioulty.

My improvement consists in a sill having mortises and tongues at the ends to receive adjacent or connecting sections, and provided on its upper surface with posts or studs to receive the journal-bearin gs of a falling gate or fence-section.

My invention also consists in combining with a sill and its pivoted gate or fence-section a right-angled frame, the vertical portion of which is secured to the bed of the stream and the horizontal portion of the sill.

My invention further consists in the novel construction of the parts and their combination, as will be herein-aft er more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

Figure l is a front view of several sections of my improved flood-fence, shown extending across a stream. Fi 2 is a transverse view taken through the line a: 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of a sill with journal-bearings. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the end sill-section with cross-bar.

1n the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, the letter A represents a number of sills attached to a number of mudsills, B, which are arranged at right angles to the sills A, so as to extend lengthwise of the stream. These mud-sills B are anchored to the bottom of the stream by means of stones, rocks, or other heavy substances, so as to prevent any displacement of the fence, thus serving as bearings for the fence-sections to rest upon.

The sills A are made heavy and round, or octagon shape, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 2, for the better retention in the stream and the passage of floating objects over the same. The ends of these sills (see Fig. 3) are formed with slots at and tongues b, for coupling, so that complete sections may be united and added to cross the stream, and to conform in a measure to the irregularities of the bottom of the stream. Each sill is also provided near its ends with posts or standards 0, having suitablejournal-bearings d to receive the journals of the gate or fence-section D, so that the fence-section or gate may oscillate or fall forward whenever the rise of water in the stream may force the same over and down, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawingc.

The upper end of the gate is provided with a ring, f, or its equivalent, centrally arranged, and to which is loosely attached a prop, E, to sustain the journaled gate in an upright position on the upstream side of the fence. 0n the other side of the gate is erected a support or angular frame, the vertical post It being well secured in the stream and the horizontal bar 6 attached to the upper end of the vertical post It and the upper surface of the sill, substantially as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The object of this support or frame is to receive and support the gate or fence-section-when forced forward.

The pickets or bars of the gate or fence-section are of such distance apart and the sections so connected with each as to be capable of turning stock.

It will be seen, by constructing the fence in sections and uniting them by means of the tongues and grooves, that I am enabled to cause the fence to ascend the banks and irregularities of the stream.

The sill of the end section, D, of the fence has a cross-bar, K, to Weight and anchor the upper end of the section.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a flood-fence, a sill-section for splicing, having end mortises'and tongues and provided with posts or standards to receive the journals of a fence-section, substantially as described. I

2. The combination, with a sill and pivoted fence-section, of the right-angular frame, arranged on the opposite side of the fence-section, for receiving and supporting or maintaining in a horizontal position the fallen fencesection, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sill and the pivoted fence-section, of the right-angular frame composed of the Vertical posts h and horizontal bar i, as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a flood-fence, the combination ofa series of sills having end inortises and tongues and perforated end posts or standards, and the fence-sections with journal-bearings at the base, Working in the end posts of the sills, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM MATTHEW.

Witnesses:

A. O. CALDWELL, 1t. BLOOMFIELD. 

